Casual & Casual Plus Hotels*
Accommodations may vary based on departure date. Any difference from what is listed below can be found by clicking on your desired date on the View Scheduled Dates or Private Dates tabs.
Lodge at Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon National Park (1 night)
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this simple park lodge is mere steps from the canyon's edge.
Grand Canyon Lodge - North Rim
Grand Canyon National Park (2 nights)
This 1920s rustic stone-and-wood lodge is perched above the grandeur of the remote North Rim.
Desert Pearl Inn
Zion National Park (2 nights)
* Casual Plus
Guest rooms at this welcoming riverside lodge have balconies overlooking the stunning red cliffs of Zion. (pool)
This Trip Is Rated Levels 1-3
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next—and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
Daily Route Options (drag to see full )
| Daily Route Options |
| 1 |
Walking/Hiking |
3 |
600 |
7 |
1400 |
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| 2 |
Biking |
9* |
200 |
19 |
400 |
37 |
1700 |
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| Walking/Hiking |
2 |
100 |
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| 3 |
Walking/Hiking |
2 |
600 |
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5 |
2100 |
9 |
1000 |
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| Walking/Hiking |
5 |
600 |
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| Other |
Point Imperial Scenic Drive (2 Hours Round-Trip) |
| Kids |
Mule Ride (1 Hour) |
| 4 |
Walking/Hiking |
2 |
200 |
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| 5 |
Kids |
Canyoneering (6 Hours) |
| Other |
Adults Hiking Options in Zion National Park (2-8 Miles; 200–2,200' elevation gain) |
| 6 |
Biking |
17 |
900 |
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Note:
On this Family Trip, our biking routes follow gentle rolling terrain. Hiking routes include a few steep ascents and descents. Liberal van shuttling is incorporated into the itinerary and mileage is moderate to enable you to spend more time exploring on your own.
* Includes shuttle.
Learn more about how we determine our activity level and fully support a range of abilities and interests.
Please note that our distance and elevation figures come from Ride with GPS. Other sources may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies and other external factors.
Meals
All breakfasts, 6 lunches, 4 dinners
Available Bike Options
The key to a stellar day’s ride is a bike that’s perfectly in tune with your cycling style… Backroads has you covered with the best bike fleet in the world! Read on for your available bike options for this trip.
Backroads Titanium Bikes (Included in your trip price)
Our custom-built titanium bikes are specially designed for you—and we offer different models for varied terrain so your bike is ideally suited to the region. Our custom-made bikes are included in your trip price.
Touring Bike (Included)
Performance Road Bike (Included)
Custom Kids Bikes (Included in your trip price)
Backroads is the only travel company to manufacture its own line of kid's bikes. While the wheels might be small, the performance is big—it's the perfect choice for kids. On all Backroads Family Trips, you'll find 20" and 24" bicycles for the younger set. They say good things come in small packages; when it comes to bikes for kids of all ages, Backroads is the expert.
Custom Kids Bikes (Included)
Burley Kazoo trailer bike (Included in your trip price)
The Burley Kazoo trailer bike, for children up to 85 pounds, attaches to an adult bike with your child providing some of the pedal power for a real team effort! It's ideal for kids who may be comfortable pedaling around the neighborhood but aren't yet ready for bike touring.
Burley Cub trailer (Included)
Also Included
- Expertise and services of our experienced Trip Leaders
- Snacks and beverages between meals
- Additional guides and experts from the region on many trips
- Van shuttles to support a variety of route options
- Comprehensive Travel Planner with detailed pre-trip information
- Private guided tours at museums, historic sites, wineries and other select attractions as noted in the Travel Planner
- All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
- Special events, including wine tastings and other select attractions as mentioned in the Travel Planner
- On biking and multi-adventure trips, use of fully equipped Backroads titanium bike plus helmet and accessories
- Trailercycles, carriers, and kid-sized helmets for Family Trips
- Equipment and experienced guides for kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, sailing and canoeing as described
- Park and other entry fees
- Fares for trains, ferries and other modes of travel as listed in the Travel Planner
- Select coach transfers
- Baggage transfers and porterage
Get the Straight Talk about This Trip
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
Accommodations & Service Standards
The Lodge at Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon Lodge - North Rim are fairly rustic national park lodges that reflect their natural surroundings. While these historic hotels offers simpler accommodations than the typical Backroads property, they've been selected because of their access to the best riding and hiking in the region. Please note that the guest rooms are basic and are not equipped with televisions or air-conditioning (nights are usually cool due to the high elevation). Generally speaking, service in the national parks can seem laid-back when compared with the high standards of service found on other Backroads trips.
Interpretive Guides & Hiking Without Your Leaders
The National Park Service has many regulations on hiking. In Zion National Park they limit where you can hike when accompanied by your trip leaders. Your leaders will provide pre-walk briefings, maps and directions so you can explore certain trails on your own. In Bryce Canyon National Park, your leaders can hike with you but can't act as "interpretive guides." They'll also be unable to hike with you in Grand Canyon National Park. Throughout the trip, your leaders will give an orientation to the area's flora, fauna and terrain before your hikes. Permit restrictions also dictate that your leaders won't be able to offer route support on the optional bike ride at the Grand Canyon. Thank you for helping us cooperate with each park's regulations.
Why Travel with Backroads in Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon
A Second Van When You Need It
Backroads is the only active travel company providing two support vans in Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon—because we know it's essential to ensure a truly great travel experience. It doubles our ability to be there when you need us to offer hydration, lighten your load or give you a lift if it's time to take a break. Read more on why two vans make all the difference.
Our Superb Bikes Included
A great bike is obviously critical for a great multi-adventure trip; you don't want to gamble on one that's been sourced locally to trim costs. This trip features our acclaimed Backroads Custom Titanium bikes, expertly tuned and fitted, and included in your trip price. Learn why our titanium bikes are ideal for most riders.
Plenty of Kids on Your Trip
It may be hard to imagine being on a family trip with no other families on it—but it happens regularly with some companies. On a Backroads Family Adventure there are typically several families on each departure, creating more opportunities for your kids to make new friends as they try fun things together – which is a big part of the experience.
Leaders Focused on Families
When everyone's together, there's lots going on; and when kids' and adults' priorities diverge, it can seem like two different trips. That's why our Family Adventures in Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon have three Trip Leaders—including a dedicated Kids Activity Expert who regularly takes younger travelers off to do their own thing. Other companies try to get by with two leaders; we step up and do it right. For more on our family focus, check this out.
Everyone at Their Own Pace
We design and support our Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon trips to suit mixed abilities and varied interests—so you can set your own pace, then change things up as the day unfolds. And all guests are free to do the same, traveling together or apart, with no one cramping anyone else's style. Which sounds easy in theory, but it's hard to pull off. Here's more on how we do it.
Signature Backroads Picnics
Guests rave about our picnic spreads. Enjoy a welcome break in a scenic spot, or a quick refuel stop if you don't want to lose momentum. And because we have two vans, one can host lunch while the other is out providing support along the route.
Your Trip Will Run. Period.
Under our Book with Confidence policy, your Backroads trip will run even for a single family of three or four people, subject to a nominal extra fee. Or transfer to another trip, and we'll give you a credit. It's all part of our trademark commitment to treating guests with integrity, transparency and total accountability. Read all the details.
A Variety of Routes Each Day
In Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon you head off each morning after choosing among several expertly designed routes—all with detailed directions, mileage and shuttle options. Unlike trips with one fixed daily route (or worse, one guide that everyone's obliged to follow), you're free to enjoy the best of the region at your pace, stopping wherever you want to explore further.
More Leaders to Support You
On our Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon trips we have an extra leader supporting you along the road and trail—for a total of three, compared to the industry standard two. So we can be in more places at once, giving personal attention to guests traveling at their own pace. Here's more on our Trip Leaders.
Custom-Designed Bikes for Kids
Only Backroads provides bikes specifically designed for younger riders. Find out more information on all of our kids' bikes and optional accessories. And check out Tom Hale's blog post about biking with your kids.
We Invented the Multi-Adventure Trip
After more than 30 years of creating Backroads Multi-Adventures, our trip designers know how to blend the perfect balance of biking and hiking with other activities to showcase the best of a region. And then they arrange the seamless transitions that would be so hard to orchestrate on your own—adding dimensions to your trip that are exciting, inspiring and just plain fun.
Quality You Can Measure
Since 1979, Backroads Founder and President Tom Hale has shown that staying #1 means constantly evaluating our performance using the best possible source of information: our guests. As we systematically analyze your feedback on our trip consultants, leaders, hotels, meals and on-trip activities, we never stop working to make a great company even better.
The Value of Casual Hotels
In addition to the ideal balance of comfort and hospitality in our choice of lodgings, this trip featuring Casual Hotels includes nearly all of your meals, plus everything from cocktail receptions to the best snacks along the road. So there's rarely a need to reach for your wallet – we've got you covered.
